Complimentary Story
Year-End 2025I’ve tried to write an article for this issue several times, but finally I decided to just try to write a little about life. This fall has been one of those seasons where lessons on thankfulness have moved from theory to reality. Over the last few months, I’ve been writing about gratitude — how to cultivate it, express it, and root it deeply in our hearts. But in recent weeks, the Lord has given me opportunities to live out those very truths in ways I didn’t expect. It’s been stretching, humbling, and yes, — exhausting — but it’s also reminded me that the kind of gratitude Scripture calls us to isn’t just for the good days. It’s for every day.
“In everything give thanks,” Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. It’s easy enough to quote that verse when life feels steady. But when the unexpected happens one thing after another, when fatigue sets in and emotions run thin — that’s where the rubber meets the road.
The past two months have held one challenge after another — urgent phone calls, disrupted plans, and long nights that left little room for rest. One day would bring a small crisis, the next another wave of something new. Some situations resolved with visible grace; others left lingering questions and weary hearts. It felt like every time I caught my breath, another need arose. I’ll admit, there were days when I felt stretched beyond what I could handle. But looking back, I can see the Lord’s hand in each moment — the way He sustained, provided, and steadied me when I didn’t feel steady myself.
There were times when gratitude came easily. When a difficult birth turned out safely, when a family member recovered from an emergency, or when a situation that could have ended badly instead brought relief — I could clearly see God’s mercy and give thanks. But there were also moments that required a deliberate choice to be thankful: when exhaustion blurred my thoughts, when relationships felt strained, or when I was simply too tired to feel anything deeply. And that’s where I began to see that gratitude isn’t just a feeling — it’s obedience.
It’s easy to be thankful when life slows down long enough for us to recognize blessings. But when the pace quickens and everything demands our attention at once, we have to train our eyes to look for God’s fingerprints even in the chaos. In the last several weeks, I’ve found myself giving thanks for small, often-overlooked things: the quiet strength to get through another day, the comfort of a warm bed after a long night, a child’s laughter breaking the tension, or the simple gift of shared prayer with a friend. Those moments might not erase the hard circumstances, but they remind me that God’s goodness hasn’t disappeared — it’s just showing up in quieter ways. Thankfulness in those small things helps re-center my heart. It reminds me that I am not carrying any of this alone.
There were also situations that went deeper than tiredness — moments that touched emotions I hadn’t expected. Disappointment in people I care about, worries about my husband’s health, concern for a child who needed surgery, and the helplessness of watching others suffer. These things can shake you, even when you know God is in control. In those times, thankfulness didn’t come naturally. I had to wrestle through it — sometimes tearfully. Yet over and over, the Lord brought to mind the truth that gratitude and grief are not opposites. We can thank Him while our hearts ache. We can praise Him for His presence while we cry out for His help.
David modeled that beautifully in the Psalms. He poured out honest emotion before God, yet nearly always returned to thanksgiving. His example reminds me that the act of giving thanks in hardship isn’t about pretending everything is fine — it’s about proclaiming that God is still good, even when everything else feels uncertain.
Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” That truth has become more personal to me lately. I’m learning that gratitude frees my heart from bitterness. When I release my need for recognition and simply thank God for the opportunity to serve, peace replaces disappointment.
I’m hoping that this time the dust will settle for a while and we can have a little break, but I know I can rest in knowing that God is in control. I thank Him that He cares and that he truly does hold our future. I have so much to be thankful for. My family is together. My husband is recovering. The children are safe and healthy. The Lord provided help when I needed it most and grace to get through what I couldn’t fix. Even in the chaos, His faithfulness never wavered. He carried me through moments I didn’t have the strength for and reminded me, again and again, that His goodness isn’t dependent on my circumstances.
I won’t pretend I’ve mastered thankfulness — it’s still something I’m learning day by day. But I’ve come to believe that the richest gratitude often grows in the hardest soil. It’s not born from perfection or ease, but from trust — trust that God is working all things together for good, even when we can’t see how.
So wherever this season finds you — whether you’re celebrating or just surviving — take a moment to pause. Count your blessings. Thank God for His presence, His protection, and His unchanging love. Because even when life is hard, He is still good. And that truth alone is reason enough to give thanks.
Emily Myers and her husband, Daniel, live on a small farm in Missouri where they homeschool their seven children. Emily is a Certified Professional Midwife. Together, Emily and Daniel co-authored “Expressions of Thanksgiving,” a family devotional designed to cultivate hearts of gratitude through Scripture, song, and reflection. Daniel also illustrated the book with his original artwork.
